The capital had been quite chaotic during this period; trouble had even erupted during the Lantern Festival. The Mayor of the Capital, the Grand Court of Revision, and the Ministry of War had collaborated but found no leads, ultimately classifying the incident as an accident.
This accident, however, was far too coincidental!
Prince Gong massaged his temples. He had initially thought that, just as she had done with the numerous invitations from various official families before the New Year, his wife would once again feign illness and refuse to attend. Who would have thought she would actually accept this time? He could only pray that the ladies and young ladies from the various households would be sensible tomorrow and not walk into the line of fire.
"Has your mother invited the young masters and ladies from the Nan Residence?"
Hearing her grandfather suddenly inquire, Mu Xiaoxiao replied straightforwardly, "No!"
She naturally paid close attention to anyone who was on bad terms with her mother. A few days ago, when her mother had sent out invitations, she had specifically asked. Her mother had said that the Nan Residence currently had only Nan Yujin and Nan Yuan'er of marriageable age. However, Nan Yujin was to be married to a princess from Dali soon, and Nan Yuan'er was destined to be a ruler of the imperial harem. It would be inappropriate for them to participate in such a banquet, which, under the guise of appreciating the snow by the fireplace, was essentially a gathering for young men and women to meet. Moreover, Nan Yuan'er was now crippled and likely wouldn't attend such an event. Nevertheless, her mother had still sent invitations, and had also clarified the nature of the banquet. As expected, both Nan Yujin and Nan Yuan'er had politely declined and sent gifts.
This had saved face for everyone involved.
Hearing that both Nan Yujin and Nan Yuan'er would not be attending, Prince Gong nodded. He did not wish to discuss the dirty laundry of the Nan Residence. The internal affairs of the inner court being in such a state was an undeniable responsibility of Nan Chaoyin. Brotherly discord and fratricidal strife—if not for his favoritism and indulgence, why would the Empress view them as enemies upon meeting them, leading to such embarrassment?
In the end, it was all a cycle of karma.
Forget it, let's not talk about it.
Prince Gong did not want to dwell on the Nan Residence's affairs, nor did he wish to get too involved. He simply hoped that Bai Yu would find a virtuous wife soon and have a brood of children, giving him something to occupy himself with.
The Princess Consort had been busy all day, and Mu Xiaoxiao had hidden in her grandfather's study for the entire day. No matter how much she wished for the sun not to set and rise again, what was coming would still come.
The next morning, she was pulled from her sleep by her maid. After washing and dressing, she put on a Jin Duan Xiu Dai Qing Zhu patterned dress, a white fur coat, and her hair was styled into a high chignon, adorned with a glazed hairpin bestowed by the Empress Dowager years ago. Mu Xiaoxiao was like a zombie, allowing the maid to style and arrange her as she pleased. Her mother had given her an ultimatum yesterday: if she didn't cooperate, she would have to marry whomever her mother favored.
She ate her meal as if she had lost her parents, performed her courtesies, and then, surrounded by her maids, proceeded to the front hall, taking her seat beside her mother.
Mu Baiyu nudged her with her foot, signaling her to maintain appearances and not to lose her manners.
Mu Xiaoxiao curled her lips. Her soul had separated from her body. If she were to paint her face white, she could easily become the villain protagonist in ghost storybooks.
Banquets in the capital generally lasted the entire day. After breakfast, the ladies from various households would start arriving. By around lunchtime, everyone would be present.
Mu Baiyu only sat in the front hall for a while before getting up to greet guests outside the residence. Mu Xiaoxiao, however, stood in the inner courtyard to perform a secondary welcoming.
Her mother's status was noble, so she naturally did not need to stand to greet guests; she only needed to wait in the inner hall.
As servants announced arrivals one after another, the Prince's residence gradually became lively. From afar, one could hear the warm greetings exchanged between one lady and another, as well as the animated conversations of familiar ladies and young ladies who had gathered. Men and women were seated together today, so Mu Baiyu had not led the male guests to a separate wing but had ushered them all into the inner courtyard. On the southwest side of the inner courtyard was a specially designated courtyard for banquets, covering an area of about one mu. A lake, forming a moat-like feature around the courtyard, had frozen over. However, as sunlight fell upon it, it still sparkled, making the entire courtyard appear magnificent.
"Madam Wang..."
"Madam Li, please be seated."
"Madam Liao..."
"Your humble subject (your humble daughter) greets the Princess Consort."
Only after most of the ladies, young ladies, and young masters had been led into the courtyard did the Princess Consort arrive fashionably late. Ever since the old Princess Consort's death, everyone in Prince Gong's residence had looked to the Princess Consort for guidance. The old Prince had long since withdrawn from worldly affairs, immersing himself in the ocean of knowledge of sage learning. In essence, besides the Prince himself, the most distinguished person in the residence was the Princess Consort.
"Look at you all, why be so formal? Please, sit down. Oh, that young lady over there, isn't she Madam Liao's niece? She's truly beautiful. Is she already engaged..."
My mother really couldn't wait a moment!
Hearing her mother immediately get straight to the point, Mu Xiaoxiao couldn't help but roll her eyes.